the big four: arsenal
Promoting Manchester City vs Arsenal.
Football is changing. Now, more than ever, games at the top level of football have more in common with the entertainment industry than with sports. Sure, in some parts of the game orange segments are still served at half-time, programmes have their back covers filled in with the game’s updates, and Bovril is a suitable refreshment whilst doubling-up and alternative to gloves, but not anymore, not at Manchester City.
There is something happening at Manchester City that hasn't happened before. A match isn’t just a match, it’s an event, not to be missed. It’s a unique experience more likened to a gig than game of football that you simply have to be a part of and that gets talked about for weeks—especially the games against the so-called Big Four: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.
To celebrate and promote each of the Big Four Events (as in games) we (royally, Music and City) created gig-esque posters, and had them fly-postered around Manchester, to generate a feeling of excitement and distinction for each individual game that celebrated the players that had distinct and unique relationships with both clubs. And the first up, was Arsenal, and new City boy Adebayor.
To reflect Adebayor’s flamboyant and slick playing style (as well as the stature of his personality) we commissioned illustrator extraordinaire Michael Gillette, famed for his Bond, James Bond Penguin covers, to turn our concept scribble into footballer as rock star. And boy did he do the job.
The illustration was then screen-printed and fly-postered around Manchester as well as forming the central piece to a wider campaign that involved an installation vinyl in the Manchester Arndale and traditional (albeit not for football) media. It also proved a success achieving the biggest win of the season so-far, attracting the highest crowd attendance, selling out on all Adebayor merchandise, and last but not least, what did he go and do? Only score.
Design By Music.
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Short-listed at the Design Week Awards 2010
Featured on the cover of the Telegraph Sport as well as in the Independent, The Guardian, and the Daily Mail.
Featured (for a fleeting moment) on the BBC's Football Focus.
Featured in Design Week 10 September 2009.
Featured in Marketing Magazine September 2009.
On the cover of the City programme as well as a spread in the Clubs official magazine.
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